Ponzi scheme: How four 'retailers' tracked down IMA proprietor in Dubai

BENGALURU: On the top of public anger over the I Financial Advisory (IMA) Ponzi scheme final month, 4 investigators from Karnataka made a terse, puzzling announcement at their properties — “We will probably be away for a month” — and walked out with their suitcases.

These had been the primary steps of an undercover operation that culminated with the arrest of IMA founder-owner Mohammed Mansoor Khan, who had fled to Dubai, at Delhi airport early on Friday. The 4 officers are a part of the particular investigation staff (SIT) fashioned by the state authorities to probe the case. They flew to the United Arab Emirates within the final week of June after it was confirmed that Khan was hiding in Dubai’s Al Barsha space.

The officers pretended to be dry fruit retailers and established some enterprise contacts there, based on sources with first-hand data of the operation. They situated his doable hideout, an condominium occupied by his buddy, Mohammed Abdulla. For 10 days, the staff didn’t make any main actions to keep away from alerting Khan. They noticed the place around the clock. Throughout this era, Khan hardly ever confirmed his face in public; on solely two events, he exited the condominium advanced in his buddy’s automobile, based on the sources. The officers, nonetheless posing as dry fruit retailers, took the assistance of a Dubai resident to succeed in out to Abdulla. After a few conferences, Abdulla tentatively agreed to get them in contact with Khan. Two officers later met Khan at Abdulla’s condominium, the sources mentioned. Khan quickly found out they weren’t easy retailers and requested them in the event that they had been Indian policemen. At first, Khan, who in had made video pleas for help to authorities to return to India, refused to fly again with the staff. He agreed after the staff instructed him his passport had been suspended and he had no choice. “This was a tough section of the operation, however Khan lastly cooperated,” the sources mentioned. The staff alerted senior officers in Karnataka. On July 13, it met immigration officers in Dubai and sought their help to fly Khan again to India. Their assist was wanted as a result of his passport is suspended. “Embassy officers turned concerned earlier than the Enforcement Directorate intervened and requested officers to place Khan on a flight for Delhi,” the sources mentioned. The 4 SIT officers boarded the identical flight. The pilot reportedly acquired directions from Delhi that nobody aside from Khan ought to be allowed to get down instantly after the flight lands. When it arrived in Delhi, a CISF staff escorted Khan off the plane. The SIT officers remained on board throughout this time.